Bottle-cap



4(No Model.)

F. W. COLEMAN.

" BOTTLE GAP.

' No. 564, 1 16.` Patented July 14, 1896.

ATTORNEYS.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANCIS w. COLEMAN7 oE EODNEY, MISSISSIPPI.

BOTTLE-CAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,146, dated July 14, 1896. Application filed May 14;, 1896.l Serial No. 591,564. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS W. COLEMAN, of Rodney, in the county of Jefferson and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Caps, of which the following ,is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a form of cap for whisky, beer, champagne, and other bottles which cannot be removed nor detached without breaking it, so that its reuse is eftectually prevented. By means of such cap the manufacturer of the liquor or beverage may protect his bottle from being refilled vby others and sold again in the original form, that is to say, with thel cap with which it was originally provided and which indicated the origin of the original contents of the bottle.

lWIybottle-cap is constructed ofsome easily frangible and dicultly-fusible metal, and preferably in two parts, which are adapted to embrace the neck and enlarged head of a bottle and to automatically lock or engage when putin position on such head and pressed together.

The cap can be detached only by breaking some portion of the same, as hereinafter de? scribed. Y

The details of construction" and arrangement of parts are as hereinafter set forth, and shown in accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view ot my improved bottlc-cap. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the two parts of the cap. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of my cap and a bottlehead to which it is applied. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification.

I will Iirst describe thenvention shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

The bottlecap is divided longitudinally or made in two parts A B, which are similar save as to the top portion. Thus the part A is composed of a disk or dat circular top plate l, a pendent semicircular body portion 2, and jaws or clasps 3, which are formed on a narrow downward extension or arm 4 of the body j 2. The part B has a body portion 2', jaws or clasps 3', and an arm4, similar to part A. It has also a flat top portion l', which is adapted to fit or lie under the disk or top plate l of part A. v When said parts A B are applied to a bottle-head as shown in Fig. 3, the

'disks or plates l l' overlap and lie above the cork or stopper y, while the body portions 2 2 conceal the latter and also the top of the head 0c, and the jaws or clasps 3 3 embrace the bottle-neck z just below said head. It is apparent that if the parts A B be secured together in this position by some internal device which is inaccessible from the outside the cap cannot be detached without rupturing or breaking it. My improved means for thus securing the parts of the cap together are a spring-catch 5 on partB and an engaging portion or bar 6 on part A. The springcatch 5 is preferably formed of a thin spring plate that is attached to the top l of part B and projects below the under side of the same, as shown best in Fig. 4.

The attachment may obviously be made in various ways; but I show vthe spring-plate passed through a slot in the top l, its free upper end lying dat on the same, while the lower end projects at a slight angle.

`The part A has an integral transverse bar 6, arranged diametrically within the body portion 2 at a point just below and parallel to the disk l, thus leaving a space or slot 7 between it and the latter to receive the narrowed portion or tongue of the disk 1 of part B. The middle portion of said bar 6 is cut away to allow space for passage ofthe springcatch 5, and constitutes a shoulder. with which the latter engages.

It will be seen that when the parts A B are put together on the bottle-head a: and pressed together so that their vertical side edges come in contact the tongue of part I' enters the slot 7 and the spring-catch 5 rides over the bar 6 and engages it, as shown in Fig. 4, thus locking the said parts together automatically. It is further apparent that the spring-lock thus formed is wholly inaccessible from the outside and that the cork y cannot be removed and the contents of the bottle discharged without rst removing the cap, and this can only be eected by breaking it, whereby it is rendered unfit for reuse. The cap is therefore made of some easily-frangible and difcultlyfusible metal, preferably cast-iron, of a brittle nature. .The jaws or clasps 3 3` IOO and arms 4, being the thinnest portions of the cap, may be the most easily broken, and this being done it is obvious the remaining portion of the cap may be removed from the bottle-head.

In the modication shown in Fig. 5 I provide a detachable bar 6' for engagement with the catch 5. The same is cast with a horizontal flange orhead 8, and when inserted through a slot 9 in the disk or top plate l of part A the said flange rests on the top l, as shown. The locking engagement of the catch 5 with this detachable bar 6 is the same as with the integral bar 6 of part A. The advantage of the use of such detachable or substitute bar 6 is that the part A may be more readily Withdrawn from the mold when the bar 6 is absent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An improved bottle-cap, composed of two independent, easily-frangible, and nonfusible parts adapted to embrace the head and neck of a bottle, and having top disks or plates that overlap as shown, and automatic ally-locking parts which are inaccessible from the exterior, substantially as shown and de-l scribed.

2. The improved bottle-cap, composed of longitudinal portions formed of easily-frangible material and adapted to embrace the neck of a bottle, said parts having overlapping top plates, and one of them having an internal spring-catch and the other an internal shoulder with which the, catch automatically engages when the parts are pressed together, substantially as shown and described.

The improved bottle-cap formed of two longitudinal parts, of easily-frangible cast metal, each having a disk or top plate, a semicireular body portion, and narrow jaws or clasps adapted to iit the bottle-neck below the enlarged head, and having, respectively, a spring-catch and a bar for engaging the latter, said catch and bar being located beneath the disks or top plates, and the latter overlapping, as shown and described.

4. The improved bottle-cap, composed of the two longitudinal parts of easily-frangible and difticultly-fusible material, each having a disk or top plate, a semicircular body portion, arms depending from the latter, and curved jaws or clasps formed on such arms and einbracing the bottle-neck, all constructed integrally, and automatic locking means secured within the cap and inaccessible from the outside, as shown and described.

5. The improved bottlecap formed by the combination of the easily-frangible metal parts A, B, adapted to embrace the neck and enlarged head of a bottle, part A, having a transverse bar or shoulder arranged beneath its top plate and the other part B, having a spring-catch attached to its top plate, which latter is adapted to pass between the said bar and top plaie of part A, for effecting the automatic locking, as shown and described.

6. The easily-frangible metal parts A, B, each composed of a disk or top plate, a semicircular body portion, and curved jaws or clasps formed on the lower end of the jaws, all constructed integrally, the top plate of one part being adapted to t beneath and lie in contact with the disk of the other, a bar arranged transversely beneath such disk, and a spring-plate affixed to the underlying top plate and projecting at an angle as shown.

FRANCIS W'. COLEMAN.

IVitnesses:

AMos W. HART, M. D. BLoNDEL. 

